Roger Whittaker

Roger Whittaker (born March 22 1936 in Nairobi, Kenya) is a British singer/songwriter and musician with worldwide record sales of more than 55 million. His music is of the folk/easy listening genre. In his early career, his trademark was his fantastic whistling ability.

== Childhood and beginning =

Whittaker's parents, Edward and Viola, were originally from Staffordshire, England, where they owned and operated a grocery shop. His father was involved in a motorcycle accident, and the family moved to a farm in Kenya because of the better climate. That Whittaker would eventually become a musician was no surprise, since his grandfather sang in various clubs, and his father played the violin. Roger learned to play the guitar.

Whittaker was drafted into national service, and he spent two years in uniform in the Kenya Regiment 1. In 1956, he was demobilized and decided that it was time to concentrate on a career in medicine. He enrolled at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.